The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-01-13

AAUW ~ asIosss
Boston Transcript: In my school
days it was once my good fortune to
spend week in the summer vacation
at the country home of schoolmatc.
There was large family Of children,
and the mother was y cultivated wo-
man. There were rides, sails on the
river, picnics, mountain tramps. and
all pleasant country diversions. but,
whatever was to be the order Of the
day, the hour after breakfast was al
ways set apart for reading. We all
gathered in the breakfast room, or on
the piazza, and one read aloud while
the Others listened. The reading dur
ing my stay was the Lady Of the
Lake" At the end of every stanza
questions were asked by the mother
concerning what had been read, and
one or another was called on to express
the thoughts Of the stanza in prose.
The large atlas lay open at the map of
Scotland. and every locality that was
mentioned was looked for, and ut the
end of the first canto We were all re-
quested to draw a map of the course of
the chase. To read anything in that
way was 4 revelation to me.
had studied English literature at
school. As l had studied geography and
grammar. learning to repeat what WAS
set down in the book. and that was the
end of it. still remember the pleasant
drives in the farm wagon. and the beam
tiful moonlight evenings on the Merri-
mac. but more wildly and more CRATE
fully recall those morning readings.
They proved to me a most valuable SER
les of lessons as to how to read. for
never after did read book through
rapidly andput it aside. thinking that
knew all about it. The LADY Of the
Lake" has been a favorit poem with me
EVER since. and whenever hear \ quo
tations from it or meet In reading the
names Of Glenartney. Benyoirlich. lam
Var, or any of the localities mentioned
init, there rises before my eyes vision
| of the broad plaza. with its outlook Of
sloping fields and waving corn. and the
happy group that gathered 50 eagerly
about the atlas nj the close of the
morning lesson.
How shall We employ to the best adj.
vantage the leisure hour that We can
devote to reading and study? In the
first place. If We can spare but an hour
or even Il half hour each day for men.
tai improvement let us not give it al
to the daily paper. nor to the new
magazine, nor to the latest novel. A
dessert is an agreeable supplement t.
the regular substantial meal. but how
would the body be nourished on thu
dessert alone? The newspaper and
magazine are. or should be, the dessert
for the mind. Reading without refiec
ton is much like constant eating with
out digestion. The mind become,
overtaxed and weary. and rejects all
assimilat;ng none.' Agreat deal more
can be accomplished by systematic read
ing or study for fifteen or twenty min
utes daily than appears possible to ont
who has never tried it.
1t would suffice to keep up French Of
German, and to become conversan'
with the best authors. Or little time
given daily to the earnest study Of
science. and one might become skill
fnl botanist or geologist. Or if English
literature be more attractive-as j
undoubtedly is to the great majority
how soon would one become familiar
with Milton or Shakespeare, Bacon o.
Macaulay, If few sentences Were rcat
ard considered daily.
| Above all things it is important tina
one should read systematically and no
be guided by chance. Have always
good book, standard work, that vii
repay careful study, at hand, and I,
that devote part Of the time that ma,
be set apart for reading. Before open
ing the book recall rs fully as possible
what was read the day before, and o,
closing it see by reflection how man,
of the thoughts of the author you hav,
made your own, and so cultivate mem
DRY.